The Unbreakable Vow
by xodramionexo
Summary: Hermione Granger returns to Hogwarts for her eighth year without Harry or Ron. She's surprised to find Draco Malfoy attending the school after all that had happened. McGonagall, the new Headmistress, has expressed her grievances to both students and is willing to make as many Unbreakable Vows as it takes to pull the school together in unity and save it from shutting down for good.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Unbreakable Vow

Author's Note: I know this chapter is kind of short, but I just wanted to set up the storyline. I hope you will continue to read and enjoy it!

* * *

This year was going to be difficult for Hermione Jean Granger. It felt like it was just yesterday she was dodging bullets in the hallways, and seeing classmates die before her eyes. In all honesty, it was a bit too surreal for her. The castle had been reconstructed the way it had always been. Part of her was happy to see these uncanny characteristics, but another part of her felt sick to her stomach. As she passed through the hall, she began to have flashbacks of previous years at the school. The fact that neither Harry or Ron were returning with her for their eighth year really bothered her. She had never had to face school without having her closest friends there with her. But at least she would be able to finish her schooling with a clear conscious.

When Hermione entered the Great Hall, she felt her stomach flip in half. She could still clearly see all the injured students and fallen fighters from Dumbledore's army in her mind. Normally, she would be so excited to see the long rows of tables with food piled on top of piles. But instead it felt eerie and wrong. There was still so much of her that was grieving and mourning for everyone's loss. Beginning to think that Harry and Ron were right, she hesitantly looked around the room. Before this year she never had to question where and whom she would sit with. They always sat at their normal spot, all three of them together. The rest just sat nearby and usually talked amongst themselves. Her eyes suddenly caught Ginny's and Hermione's face lit up. It was so nice to see a friendly face in the crowd of so many strangers.

Mrs. McGonagall stood at the front of the room and began to give an announcement. Hermione settled into her seat and watched the new students of Hogwarts looking up at the ceiling in awe. They were clearly amazed. She couldn't resist a small smile when she saw them. It didn't seem that long ago that she had walked into the room with new students herself while explaining everything she knew about Hogwarts from what she had managed to read in books. Giving a small chuckle, she thought to herself, "Maybe I am an insufferable know it all..." As this thought left her mind, she slowly looked upward from her plate and stared across the room. Her smile slowly faded and her eyes narrowed in on a specific person that she had hoped she would never have to see again. Draco stared back at her for a long moment. Hermione heard McGonagall finishing her speech as she raised her goblet to toast the beginning of a new year. When Hermione wrapped her small fingers around the goblet in front of her, she saw Draco raising up his and still looking at her. It was as if he was toasting her, for a new year.

This made her blood boil. It made her insides crawl and her temper rise. She wanted to whip out her wand and curse him in ways she had never wanted to curse anyone. He had done so much to her in the past, he had left so much unfinished. And after everything that had happened, after all the ways he acted, he had the nerve to finish out his eighth year? Taking a drink, she closed her eyes and tried to clear her head. This was not a year of revenge. This was a new year to start over fresh and finish her education. The less she thought about Draco, the better off she was going to be. Swallowing hard, Hermione kept her gaze down and away from the blonde git.

It had been two weeks and Hermione had successfully managed to avoid Draco Malfoy at all costs. That is, despite the constant hallway glares and classroom smirks. Draco had given her well-deserved space. But when McGonagall entered their potions class, Hermione knew that this was merely the calm before the storm. When their new potions teacher, Mr. Gnarls, saw the woman, he gave her a simple nod. It was evident that the two had talked about her interruption beforehand.

"Ms. Granger," McGonagall found the girl at the front of the room. "Mr. Malfoy, please meet me in my office after class."

Hermione shifted her gaze from where the Headmistress stood to where her enemy sat. Their eyes met for a slight moment. She quickly turned away and planted her eyes on her book. He kept his eyes locked on her though, curious to why she was still so rash. Clearly, she was going to hold onto the past. Letting out a small sigh, Draco returned to his work on the table in front of him. It was going to be a long year, if she didn't learn how to just let things go.

"Ms. Granger, can I have a word with you before you leave?" Mr. Gnarl questioned.

"Of course," She nodded as she put her belongings in her bag.

This was Mr. Gnarls first year of teaching, so he was still quite young. He was also the most attractive professor that Hogwarts had probably ever had. Hermione tried not to think about that as she put her things away and headed towards the front of the room. As she placed her bag over her shoulder, she gave her new professor a bright smile, trying to hide her frustration.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you, Ms. Granger," He warmly stated as he stood up from his chair.

"Congratulate me?" She asked innocently.

"McGonagall is about to inform you that you are Head Girl this year," He paused, "You're a brilliant girl, Ms. Granger. I just wanted you to know that I am very proud of you. I am thoroughly impressed by your previous achievements throughout your years here. I am also very thankful to have the opportunity to teach you."

"T—thank you," Hermione whispered, feeling embarrassed by how nice and welcoming he was.

"Also, I wanted you to know that the staff has taken it upon themselves to let me know quite a good deal of information about you. I understand that this past year has been very difficult for you." Mr. Gnarls walked around his desk and watched her intently.

"It's been a tough seven years, professor." Hermione softly stated.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that if you ever need anyone to talk to, my door is always open." Gnarl stuck out his hand, "It was very nice to finally meet you,"

"Nice to meet you too, professor," Hermione firmly shook his hand and then headed out the door.

When Hermione entered the office, she realized how late she was. McGonagall was sitting at her desk and Draco was sitting across from her. Hermione quickly rushed towards the two and began frantically apologizing for being tardy. However, McGonagall did not care about her talk with Gnarls. So Hermione hurriedly sat down and ran her fingers through her thick, curly hair.

"Ms. Granger, I have elected you as Head Girl this year," McGonagall explained, "You have shown your extensive knowledge and upmost bravery. Mr. Malfoy, I have elected you as Head Boy this year. Between your book smart qualities and your ambition, you have earned it. The two of you are the top students in Hogwarts. You are leaders and role models for so many underclassmen. I hope the two of you will find your last year of Hogwarts both interesting and rewarding."

"Thank you," Hermione nodded.

"Yes, thank you, McGonagall." Draco had sincerity in his voice that Hermione had never heard before. This caused her to turn and look at him with curiosity and a hint of disgust.

"I know that the two of you have had your...differences in the past, but I hope you can overcome those this year and learn how to work together." McGonagall watched the two.

"With all due respect, Mrs. McGonagall, I think that certain…relationships, cannot repair themselves." Hermione firmly said.

"Relationships cannot be repaired if they weren't on good terms to begin with," Draco looked over at the girl.

"From day one, you had it out for us!" Hermione cried, "What did you think was going to happen?"

"As I recall, I offered to be Potter's friend." Draco remarked.

"After telling him that Ron wasn't worthy of being his friend!" Hermione cried.

"So you resent me because I don't care for your little Weaselbee?" Draco laughed.

"Did I mention maturity? You both are normally so mature about everything…" McGonagall rubbed her forehead.

"Speaking of Weaselbee, when's the wedding, Granger?" Draco crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"You and Mr. Weasley are getting married?" McGonagall's eyes widened.

"No, no we are not." Hermione shook her head, "We're not even together."

"Trouble in paradise?" Draco inquired, having a good time messing with her head.

"Shut your—" Hermione began.

"Please," McGonagall took control of the discussion again. "I'm glad you and Ronald aren't getting married…or in a relationship for that matter. That would cause more tension between all of you."

"What?" Hermione asked with a confused look on her face.

"I want you to know that this isn't an easy question for me to ask. Please know that I wouldn't ask such a thing unless it was an extreme state of affairs. My hands are tied and your cooperation will be greatly appreciated. This is not the ideal situation and I do understand that. But desperate times do call for desperate measures." McGonagall paused, "Our student body has shrunk this year by hundreds. People fear sending their kids here due to the events that took place the year prior. Many feel that Hogwarts is unsafe. We also had a very high casualty number and a number of students who didn't return to finish out their last year. There is no sense of unity in this castle right now. Most of the student body is fearful of history repeating itself. Likewise, many students cannot overcome their differences to get along with one another. We need to push friendship this school year. These students need to make amends and build relationships with each other. We need to stress to the students that Houses are not meant to separate them or turn them against one another."

"Please don't ask us to pretend to be friends," Draco sighed heavily.

"I'm asking the two of you to pretend to be a couple." McGonagall finally admitted.

"No, absolutely not. I'm sorry, I cannot do this," Hermione immediately turned down the offer.

"Please, think about this for a moment. You are Head Boy and Head Girl. Everyone is striving to be what you are today. They all look up to you both. If they believe that the two of you have seen past your differences and fallen in love, it will encourage them to overcome their own problems." McGonagall watched the two of them who were thinking quickly.

"I really don't believe this could ever work out," Draco shook his head.

"Draco, you're a role model to so many young Slytherins. Don't you want them to see you in a different light? Your reputation could be wiped clean. This is your chance to start over Draco. Don't you want that?" McGonagall questioned. Draco became silent as he mulled this over.

"Draco, you can't seriously be considering this. It's me, Hermione Granger. Hello?! You loathe me, Draco!" Hermione tried to help level his mind.

"Hermione, do you refuse to see how grateful and proud Dumbledore would be? You would be honoring so many people, Ms. Granger. We have to make sure that they didn't die in vain, don't you get that? They didn't die for all this hatred to just be continued." She paused as she stared between the two students, "Sirius…Dumbledore...Serverus…"

"I'm in," Draco said suddenly.

Hermione whipped her head around to see Draco sitting there with his eyes concentrated on the ground. She wanted to protest. There were hundreds of reasons for why this was a terrible solution to the problem. But as Hermione saw Draco's demeanor and his almost defeated look, she decided to keep her mouth shut. Maybe she was wrong after all. Maybe Draco Malfoy was an actual human being with a beating heart. Hermione's eyes drifted over to McGonagall and when their eyes met, she simply nodded.

"Alright, all you have to do is sign this contract."

"McGonagall—" Hermione interrupted as she skimmed the first few lines, "You can't possibly be asking us to create an unbreakable vow."

"Apparently, I didn't make my grievances quite grave enough. This is a very serious matter, Ms. Granger. The school could permanently shut down before too long if all of this continues. The two of you cannot back out on this, do you understand?" Her eyes switched between the two.

"Of course," Hermione was barely audible.

"Yes," Draco voiced a bit louder.

"This is just for one year. Your teachers will be the only ones aware of this being a set up. Besides that, no one else will know the truth." McGonagall passed her quill over to Draco who neatly signed his name. He then passed it to Hermione who was more reluctant. Her eyes fell from the Headmistress to the paper and then to Draco. Finally, she drew in a sharp breath and signed her name.

"Is there anything else?" Draco stood from his chair.

"Yes, I will show you to your new rooms." McGonagall stood up and carefully led the two into the hallway.

As they walked through the crowded hall, McGonagall flashed them back a stern look. Draco quickly reached his hand under Hermione's and intertwined their fingers. Passing students gaped at the two walking alongside one another. Hermione felt her face turn a dark shade of red. She had the sudden urge to pull her hand away from his and punch him, just like she had in third year. But she knew that she couldn't do that. So instead she tried to focus on what McGonagall had said in her office. The witch had been so incredibly convincing.

"The password is Dragon Lilies," McGonagall whispered to them when they reached a rather large painting. The three of them carefully slid into the room. "So this is your living area, it resembles the common rooms. The left door is Draco's room and the right is Hermione's. The room in between is the bathroom. There is a door from both bedrooms leading into it, so be careful to lock the doors. I will head back to my office now. If either of you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask." She disappeared from sight.

Hermione and Draco stood silently, with their fingers still interlocked. When she noticed this, she quickly pulled herself away. Draco released her hand easily and then sighed. Rubbing his forehead, he thought about everything that had just happened. The reality of what he had just agreed to hit him like a ton of bricks. As he turned to look at her, he noticed her heading towards her bedroom.

"Granger," Draco called after her.

"What?" She shot him an angry glare.

"Are we going to get this over with now, or what?" He stammered.

"Get what over with?" She snapped.

"You bloody know what!" He shouted, "Don't act dumb, Granger. It's not flattering on you."

"And I suppose you find it flattering on yourself?" She questioned eagerly.

"Great comeback, Granger." He crossed his arms coolly.

"Bug off," She turned and walked into her room, slamming the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Quidditch Tryouts

Hermione turned to her side and slipped out of her bed. It was draped in beautiful red and yellow sheets to express her Gryffindor pride. The room was very open and quite cozy compared to her normal living situation. Sharing a stuffy room with several other girls was never much fun. Walking over to the bathroom door, Hermione knocked carefully. When there was no answer, she called out Draco's name to see if he would reply. But only silence came from the room, so she cautiously let herself in. By time Hermione had opened the door, Draco was standing near the sink, shirtless. It took her a few moments to understand what had just happened. Her lips were slightly parted and her face was turning shades of red when she caught a long glimpse at his chest. Draco stood there, confidently, clearly used to girls reacting that way. He smirked at her for a second, before processing that it was bloody Granger.

"Bloody Hell, Granger, ever heard of knocking?" He gave her a cold look.

"I did knock and there was no answer!" Hermione scowled, "I even called your name!"

"I didn't hear you," Draco demanded angrily.

"You think I would lie about it?" Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Oh," He nonchalantly said, "I placed a silencing charm on the room."

"Why would you do that?" Hermione stuttered.

"I didn't want to wake you up. Sorry for trying to be a generous roommate, Granger." He buttoned up his shirt and headed out of the bathroom.

When he left, Hermione couldn't help but smile. That was such an uncharacteristic thing for a Slytherin to do. They don't normally care about anyone but themselves. Hermione scoffed and then turned on the shower. As she began washing her hair, she decided to put ulterior motives aside. He had done something nice, why was it so hard for her to just accept that? Rinsing off and stepping out of the shower, she genuinely appreciated his kind action. Perhaps she was being far too rash and hard on him. After all, he has had a lot of maturing and growing up to do ever since the war. If he hadn't straightened up, McGonagall wouldn't have allowed him back in the school, would she? After getting dressed, Hermione brushed through her long hair and then towel dried it. Giving the mirror one last look, something hit her. The silencing charm he used created silence from the inside out, not the outside in. This means that Hermione couldn't hear Draco, but Draco heard Hermione.

"You little ferret!" Hermione busted out of the bathroom.

"I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out," Draco was amused at himself.

"You're absolutely repulsive, you know that? You're a sick creep and I hope that you know—"

"Now, now Granger, that's not the way you should talk to your boyfriend, is it?" Draco gave her a mischievous grin.

"Shut up, Draco!" Hermione yelled as she grabbed her bag.

"Aren't you glad that we have all the same classes? Now we get to spend all day together." Draco gave her a fake, loving smile, "I'm sure it will melt everyone's hearts."

"Oh Merlin," Hermione sighed as she placed her hand on her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't even think about Ginny and the others. Neville and Luna are going to be so upset." Hermione bit her bottom lip anxiously.

"Well this isn't going to be an easy day for me, either, Granger." Draco roughly said, "You think that any of the Slytherins are going to think fondly of us being an item?"

"I don't care what your stubborn friends think." Hermione headed towards the door.

"Who are you to be calling them stubborn? You're the worst of them all." Draco followed her into the hallway.

"I suppose we should eat breakfast together, then?" Hermione looked over at him curiously, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Probably, which table should we sit at though?" Draco nonchalantly looked at her with confidence.

"I think it's only fair to switch back and forth depending on the day. So which would you prefer to start at?" Hermione questioned.

"Yours," Draco said this rather quickly, which shocked Hermione. But she tried to keep a calm expression on her face as they entered the Great Hall. When they reached the table, Hermione sat down in her usual spot. Draco sat down beside her, feeling too many eyes on him. Hermione had never seen him look so comfortable or out of place before. Normally, this would be comical to her, she would get satisfaction out of him feeling so uncomfortable. But given the circumstances, she knew that he didn't deserve to feel like an outsider. He had agreed to this for the same reasons she had: good and moral reasons. That didn't mean that he needed to be crucified for it.

"Hermione," Ginny smiled as she approached the table, but the smile faded as she saw the blonde sitting beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"Have you not told her?" Draco looked over at Hermione innocently. **_Damn him_**. He was so clever and cunning. One minute you felt bad for him and were sympathizing with him, the next he was throwing you under the bus. Trying to keep a good composure, Hermione turned her gaze back towards the ginger in front of her.

"Actually, Ginny, I don't think we have discussed this. Draco and I…well, you see it's kind of a funny story…" Hermione began.

"It doesn't sound too funny," Ginny chimed in.

"Well maybe sometime we can talk about it. I'm sure if you understood the situation fully, you would find it absolutely hilarious. Wouldn't she find it funny, Draco?" Hermione looked over at him, "Forgive him, he's a little shy after everything that's happened,"

"Shy?" Ginny crossed her arms, "Hermione, stop beating around the bush, why is he sitting at our table?"

"I have a perfectly rational answer for that. If you would just give me some time to explain it, I think you would understand where I'm coming from." Hermione tried to continue, but Draco ended up spilling the beans.

"We're a couple," Draco bluntly told the girl.

"You're what?" Ginny's eyes darted towards Hermione.

"What's going on?" Luna walked over to the scene. "Hermi—Draco,"

Luna had an unusual look on her face. When she saw Draco, she went pale as a ghost—which is hard to imagine since she already has such a pale complexion. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach as she turned over to Ginny who looked incredibly upset. As she tried to form words, she began to stutter and then she gave up on attempting any sort of intellectual conversation. Her mind went blank, her hands became sweaty and she completely clamped up.

"Luna," Hermione was concerned that the girl might pass out within seconds.

"I'm fine," She softly stated, hoping that she wasn't worrying anyone too much.

"Malfoy has just informed me that Hermione is now his girlfriend." Ginny explained to the girl.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Luna put her hand over her mouth, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Luna!" Hermione stood up, but Draco put his hand over hers, pulling her back down. Ginny saw this gesture and then looked at Hermione dead in the face.

"You disgust me," Ginny grabbed a muffin from the table. "I can't believe you would betray us like that…after all we've been through." Then she quickly left the Great Hall.

"Well I think that went surprisingly well," Draco looked over at Hermione with a small smile.

"I think you're mental," Hermione put her head in her hands.

Draco looked over towards the front of the room where he saw McGonagall sitting. Their eyes immediately met and she gave him a look much like she had in the hallway. He reluctantly put his arm around Hermione to comfort her. She refused to cry in front of Draco, but right now it was quite tempting. She quickly pulled herself together and finished breakfast.

The next classes went by fairly well. Draco and Hermione sat in the front in every class beside one another. They both could hear the whispers and see the glares that they were getting. But they both tried their best to ignore it because there was nothing else that they really could do. By time they made it to their last class, Hermione was past ready for the day to be over with. More accurately—she was ready for the whole _year_ to be over with. As they entered Mr. Gnarls room, Hermione felt the teacher's immediate gaze on her. Draco noticed it too, which somewhat bothered him. He wanted to put his arm around Hermione, or make some sort of move that would let the teacher know that she was his. But it would be pointless because he already knew that it was a gimmick. Plus, it's not like Draco actually wanted Hermione to be his, it's just that he didn't want any other guy thinking that he could have her. There was a defined difference, Draco was certain of it.

"Ms. Granger, do you mind if I talk with you after class?" Mr. Gnarls wondered as he passed by her desk.

"Sure," Hermione nodded as she skimmed her textbook to figure out what ingredient she needed to put in their potion next.

"Careful, Hermione," Draco prevented her from adding a wrong ingredient. "It's the blue powder, not the red."

"Oh," Hermione felt stupid for a moment. She had just read that, how could she have done something so stupid? Then again, it was difficult to concentrate with Mr. Gnarls constantly asking her to stay after class. As she tried to focus again, she realized that Draco had just called her by her first name. "You—you called me Hermione."

"What else would I call you, love?" Draco suddenly looked terribly confused.

"Right, right, of course," Hermione nodded, realizing that it would look strange if he called her by her last name in front of other students.

By the time class was finished, Hermione and Draco had successfully completed their first potion of the year perfectly. Mr. Gnarls even used their potion as an example because it was so spot on. After looking around at all the cauldrons and grading them carefully, he dismissed the class. Then he realized that he had let them leave without cleaning up. As he made it to his desk, he sighed in realization that he was going to have to clean this all rather quickly.

"I can help you clean up, Professor Gnarls." Hermione offered as she looked around at the mess.

"That would be wonderful, thank you Ms. Granger." He lifted his wand and began arranging a few. Hermione quickly did the same. Within a matter of minutes, the entire room was spotless.

"So was there something you wanted to talk about?" Hermione neared his desk.

"Yes, actually," He smiled, "This is my first year as a teacher, and the work load is a lot harder than I had imagined. I was wondering if you would like to come in and help me grade some papers throughout this semester."

"I would lo—"

"I feel so embarrassed asking for this, but there's a lot more students than I had anticipated." He looked at a stack of papers. Hermione almost laughed, but forced herself to keep it contained. It was such a small number of kids this year compared to all the years before. "Plus, it will look great on your record."

"I would lo—"

"I know this is probably terrible timing and it probably isn't the most convenient thing to you, but it would really mean so much if you could just—" He nervously began.

"Professor Gnarls, I would love to help you. Just let me know when you need me and I'll schedule in time for it after class." She thought it was adorable how nervous he was asking for her help.

"Thank you, Ms. Granger." He laughed, feeling relieved.

"Anytime, Professor Gnarls," Hermione nodded.

"You don't need to call me that, Ms. Granger. Not when it's just you and I. Please, call me Evan." Mr. Gnarl gave her a small smile.

"I will keep that in mind," Hermione giggled and then was angry at herself for giggling. She reminded herself of Lavender Brown which made her upset. But then she thought of Lavender Brown's cold body and then she was angry at herself for being upset in the first place.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Evan questioned as he saw her expression suddenly change.

"Um, yes," Hermione softly smiled, "Of course, I'm sorry. I'm just really tired, so I'll head back to my dorm now. Thank you, again."

When she made it into her room, she found Draco sitting on the couch. He didn't even acknowledge her existence. She figured that this was how the year was going to play out. They would pretend to be lovers in public and then have no contact with one another when they were alone. Biting her lip, she knew that she should be happy about this. It's not like she wanted to have any type of relationship with him. Hermione merely wanted to make amends in a sense. There were so many questions that she had, but she was too afraid to ask. She wondered if he had questions for her, but it didn't matter. That was a conversation that was never going to happen.

* * *

It was a Saturday morning, and Hermione was hoping she would be able to talk with her friends about the situation rationally. Today was a perfect excuse for them to start talking because Hogwarts was hosting the Quidditch tryouts. Draco would be busy trying to win the Slytherins over and Ginny would probably be busy trying to kill Draco with any play she could get. But this would give Hermione a chance to talk to both Luna and Neville. When she walked up the bleachers, she wondered if Ginny had seen her this morning. Then she questioned whether or not Ginny would ever forgive her for this. She knew that beyond the fact that she was dating Draco, Ginny was more upset about the relationship that wasn't forming between Hermione and her brother, Ron. Ginny had been trying to push them into a relationship for a long time now. For a while there, Hermione almost believed that her and Ron were going to end up together. But after the war, she realized that they were better off as friends. Unfortunately, Ginny refused to accept that, as well as Ron. Hermione hadn't even begun to think about what Ron or Harry would say once word got back around to them. Then she suddenly wondered if Ginny had already told her brother.

"Hermione," Luna called from the stands. "We're over here."

"Luna," She smiled, happy to see that her friend was still wanting her around. "Hello, Neville,"

"Hello, Hermione," He cheerfully said.

"How is Ginny doing?" Hermione was genuinely concerned.

"She's alright," Luna began, "This morning she seemed a little uneasy, but I think she's getting better throughout the day."

"I really want to talk to the two of you about this. But it's a very complicated situation and I'm afraid I cannot explain all of it to you. Draco and I…we fell for each other. I didn't want to fall for him, believe me, I tried everything. But one thing led to another and I just couldn't help myself. We've been working on a lot of things ever since the war, and I feel like we've really made amends for past events. I forgive him for everything he's done and he forgives me too. We're finally able to move on from that and live our lives. We didn't expect to be together by the end of this, but we are…and I'm happy. I'm honestly very happy. And I know that's probably not what you want to hear, and I know that's the last thing that Ginny wants to know. But it's the truth and I think I owe that to you." Hermione took a deep breath after finishing.

"Well, I'm happy that you're in a better place now, Hermione. I personally will probably never be on good terms with Draco, but that doesn't mean that you can't fix things between the two of you." Neville gave her a pat on the shoulder, "With time, Ginny will learn to be supportive. You just have to give her some time to accept that this is something she cannot change."

"Thank you, Neville. That really means a lot." Hermione looked over to Luna, "Did the idea of Draco and I actually make you sick yesterday?"

"N—no, it wasn't that," Luna shook her head, "It was just…that was the first time I had actually seen Draco since everything…I don't really know what came over me. I guess all the memories of that night just came flooding back, is all."

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Hermione warmly stated before looking over at the Quidditch field to see Draco riding around on his broom for warm up.

Hermione was shocked by how supportive both Neville and Luna were about everything. Taking a deep breath, she sat back and watched the try outs begin. This year Draco had gotten a lot better, which is really saying something. He was always the best on the team, but somehow he had become even better. Hermione really didn't understand how that was possible, since he shouldn't have had much time to practice over break. She could only imagine how good he would be by the end of the season. On the other hand, Ginny had done the opposite. She seemed weaker and less of a threat than she had in the years prior. Hermione wondered if this was because of the shocking news she received. Maybe it had bothered her so much that it was interfering with her performance. For this, Hermione felt terrible. The way tryouts were looking, Ginny might not even make the cut this year.

"I should probably go see Draco," Hermione told the two when tryouts ended. "Do me a favor and tell Ginny I was rooting for her?"

"Of course," Neville nodded.

"I'll come down with you," Luna stood up, "I have to talk to someone. Neville, I'll be right back."

"Okay, be careful," He gave her a loving look. They were honestly probably the cutest couple Hermione had ever laid eyes on.

When the two girls were at the bottom of the bleachers, they headed out towards the field. Before diverging and going to the separate teams, Luna called out Hermione's name. Hermione turned around and Luna wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly. As Luna placed her head on Hermione's shoulder, she gently tilted her head so that her mouth was close to her ear. Then she began telling her something that was intended only for Hermione to hear.

"I know everything you said back there was a lie. But it's okay, because I trust you and I know you wouldn't do anything for the wrong reasons. So I'm going to continue to trust you, Hermione. And I won't tell anyone any differently." Luna pulled away from the girl and gave her a comforting smile.

"Luna, we really are—" Hermione tried.

"Goodbye, Hermione." Luna trailed off and headed towards Ginny.

Hermione stood there silently, confused on how Luna could read her so well. After watching the blonde girl skip away, Hermione headed over to the locker rooms to try and find Draco. When she entered, she heard a few boys hoot and holler at her. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, but she kept pursuing the path because she needed to talk to Draco. As she turned the corner, she felt something hit her in the hip. Letting out a small squeak, she heard the boys around her begin to laugh. Apparently, one of them had whipped her with a towel they had.

"How dare you!" Hermione cried, she went on to scream some more, but a hand cupped her mouth and a body was pressed up against her back.

"Boys, boys, I'm afraid this one is taken," Draco's body was so close to Hermione, it gave her goose bumps.

"Ease up, Draco, we were just having a little fun," One Slytherin laughed.

"Hermione," Draco pulled her around to face him. "Why don't you wait outside the locker room?"

"I just—I needed to talk to you about something." Hermione told him urgently.

"Well, I'm sure that whatever it is, it can wait until after I'm done changing." Draco looked at her curiously. Hermione looked down and noticed Draco was only in a towel. How was it that within a matter of days Hermione had had the misfortune of seeing him shirtless twice? Looking up at his eyes again, she nodded softly and agreed.

"I'll wait outside then," She meekly said as she turned around.

That's when the most ridiculous thing happened—the one thing that had caused Hermione to almost blow their cover. Draco was getting too comfortable with this acting business and Hermione was becoming quite angry about it. As she turned to leave, he smacked her bum in an affectionate way. She heard all the boys in the locker room whistling and laughing again and her face turned a deep red. Hermione wasn't going to forget this. She was going to kill him once they got back to the dorm room. It was as if he did this on purpose, because he knew how upset she would be. Walking quickly, Hermione exited the locker room and waited patiently for Draco to exit.

"Hermione," Draco emerged from the door.

"We're going to our room, now." Hermione said roughly.

"Ohhhh," A nearby Slytherin overheard and began laughing hysterically.

"You have to admit, you set yourself up for that one." Draco teased playfully.

"This isn't a funny matter, Draco! Come on," She grabbed him by his wrist.

"Be careful, Granger, I bruise easily," He felt a smirk on his face as Hermione's nails dug into his skin harder.

Hermione turned to him once they got into their room and she felt her anger begin to rise. She began setting her emotions aside and instead tried to directly approach the situation at hand.

"Luna isn't convinced," Hermione told him.

"A lot of people aren't convinced," Draco shrugged, "That's why we have to play it up a bit."

"You don't get it, she told me that she knew I was lying. Draco, no one can know the truth. We took an unbreakable vow." Hermione sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Relax Granger, just because she knows your lying doesn't mean she knows the truth." Draco explained as he stood at the fireplace.

"She's not stupid, Draco. She'll catch on soon enough." She whispered dejectedly.

"Well, I guess we'll have to be more convincing." Draco flashed her a sideways glance, "If you were a Slytherin, we wouldn't have this problem right now."

"Why is that? Because I'd be good at lying?" Hermione laughed at the thought.

"No, because it would be more believable," Draco shook his head.

"Well how on Earth do we make this more convincing?" Hermione tried defusing the bomb.

"We have to be more comfortable with one another." Draco looked at her, "We have to look like we actually care about one another. Holding hands and sitting next to each other isn't going to cut it, Granger."

"Don't make this anymore uncomfortable than it already is." Hermione stood up from the couch.

"Do I make you…" Draco moved closer to her and put his hand on her jawline, "…uncomfortable?" His breath fell over her skin.

Pulling away from his grasp, she shoved his hand away, "Get away," She warned with an angry glare.

"You can't do that in front of other people."

"Well, we aren't in front of other people!" Hermione bluntly said.

"When we're intimate, it can't look like we're being intimate for the first time, Granger. And from what I've heard, you haven't really been an intimate person, so I doubt you could fake it well. Hell, you can't even lie to your friends without them knowing." Draco saw her eyes suddenly change.

"Shut up, Draco. Just because I haven't slept with half of the school doesn't mean I'm a terrible person." Hermione snapped.

"No, it just explains why you're so tense all the time, you prude." Draco left the room before Hermione could think of a witty response. Sighing heavily, she decided to call it an early night.


End file.
